Lion Links: 3/28/17

“Friendship is like peeing on yourself: everyone can see it, but only you get the warm feeling that it brings.” — Robert Bloch

Greetings, Mane Landers. Coming on the heels of another long Monday, hopefully that quote brings a smile your face and brightens your day. There was a lot going on in the soccer world, so let’s get to it.

Larin Garnering Premier League Interest

Kurt Larson of the Toronto Sun reported that Orlando City striker Cyle Larin is garnering interest from Premier League side Everton. Upon first hearing the report, it is concerning, considering Larin has made no secret of his European aspirations. It made sense due to the fact that Everton could possibly lose Romelu Lukaku, and Larin could be viewed as a replacement.

It made sense until the end of the article when it said that the transfer fee the Lions would be hoping for is around $2.5 million. That is not enough money for a Premier League striker. The rumor is that Chelsea is offering £40 million and a player for Lukaku, but Everton is going to replace him with a player with a $2.5 million transfer fee? Not so sure. 

Larin would be crazy to even want to go to Everton for that fee because the club isn’t showing any faith in him. The amount of investment correlates to how much they believe in the player. At that price, they can’t be too convinced he will succeed. Larin will leave at some point, but he should be offended at that supposed transfer fee.

Gil Linked with Move to Orlando City

Luis Gil is being linked with a move from Querétaro of Liga MX to Orlando City. Lions Head Coach Jason Kreis and Gil are already familiar with each other from their time at Real Salt Lake. This could just be a depth pickup, or a sign of someone being on the outs.

Gil was once projected to potentially be the “next big thing” in American soccer in 2010, and he chose MLS over an offer from Arsenal. His career hasn’t panned out thus far, but he is still only 23 years old. It’s possible that Kreis thinks he can tap into his potential.

USMNT More Exciting without Klinsmann

It’s easy to pile on Jürgen Klinsmann after the USMNT’s exciting 6-0 victory over Honduras. He wasn’t a likable character, and his teams never played the exciting brand of football that he originally promised. But U.S. Soccer does owe him a debt of gratitude, because there is no doubt that he helped advance the quality of play.

A coach can only account for so much. At the end of the day, it’s about the players. Christian Pulisic made Bruce Arena look good because he orchestrated the action as a true No. 10. Klinsmann can indirectly take credit because Pulisic developed in Germany, and Klinsmann has long been in favor of U.S. players playing abroad, which is part of the reason he is so disliked. We can’t say for sure that Pulisic would have developed the same in America.  

Plus, Arena was the coach before Klinsmann, and he played that same boring style that Klinsmann is now being criticized for. Looking back, it makes sense that the team had to play that style because of the roster.

Klinsmann gave U.S. Soccer credibility. He planted the seeds. Now that they are starting to grow, we can’t forget how we got to this point.

Lletget Evaluation Shows No Significant Damage

LA Galaxy and U.S. Men’s National Team midfielder Sebastian Lletget apparently won’t be out too long. Lletget injured his foot in the USMNT’s 6-0 victory over Honduras after starting the onslaught by scoring just five minutes into the match. Although it was reported that the injury was not serious, there is no timetable for his return.

American Will Vint Linked to Manchester United

American Will Vint, 15-year-old son of Everton academy director Peter Vint, is being discussed as a target by Manchester United. Will Vint was a former Real Colorado youth player. It seems like Will was born for soccer, considering his father’s role at a Premier League club.

But that is not the case. Peter Vint is a doctor whose previous position was as the United States Olympic Committee’s Senior Director of Competitive Analysis. He is credited with improving athletes enough to win instead of lose. The elder Vint was in the aviation industry before that, so is by no means the soccer lifer one would expect an academy director to be. 

It will be worth tracking the development of young Will Vint. It is no small feat to get into the Manchester United academy. But expectations should be tempered. Who his father is gives him an advantage over youth his age. The true barometer will come as he matures. People will compare him to Pulisic, but that’s not fair to Vint.

Ribery could move to MLS after Bayern Munich

Bayern Munich’s Franck Ribery hasn’t ruled out coming to MLS when his contract expires the summer of 2018. Ribery said he was also open to China, Dubai, or Qatar. In other words, he’s going for the money. 

Hopefully MLS has learned from past mistakes, and doesn’t take the bait. Ribery is 33 years old now, and he isn’t a household name. It’s questionable whether he would bring any additional notoriety.

The league’s reputation is improving because of the young talent. Hopefully those around the league realize that because this move would set MLS back instead of moving it forward.  

That’s it for this edition of Lion Links. Check back with The Mane Land later for more from Orlando City and a preview of tonight’s USMNT-Panama World Cup qualifier. Hope everyone has a safe and productive week, until next time.